Paolo Banchero led the scoring with 23 points, making 10 of 20 shots, as the Magic came from behind to secure a 108-106 victory against the Timberwolves in Minneapolis on Friday night.
Paolo Banchero received support from Franz Wagner, who scored 19 points for Magic, helping the team secure its second consecutive victory. Wendell Carter Jr. achieved a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Rudy Gobert led Timberwolves with 22 points and 16 rebounds, while Anthony Edwards contributed 22 points and Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 19.
Kawhi Leonard scored 33 points as the Los Angeles Clippers won 136-125 against the Detroit Pistons. Russell Westbrook also reached a career milestone of 25,000 points and contributed 23 points and nine assists. The Clippers are currently 4-1 on their seven-game road trip and have won 15 of their last 18 games. Paul George had 18 points, seven assists, and three steals, while Norman Powell added 15 points. Jaden Ivey led the Pistons with 28 points, followed by Bojan Bogdanovic with 26 points. Marcus Sasser scored 21 points, Cade Cunningham had 16 points and 11 assists, and Jalen Duren contributed 11 points and 13 rebounds.
Jimmy Butler scored 24 points and Bam Adebayo contributed 20 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Miami Heat to a 110-102 win over the Washington Wizards on Friday. Terry Rozier and Tyler Herro each scored 15 points, while Kevin Love came off the bench to add 13 points and 10 rebounds for Miami, which has now won two consecutive games after a seven-game losing streak. Corey Kispert made six 3-pointers and scored 26 points off the bench for Washington, while Jordan Poole recorded 16 points and 10 assists, and Deni Avdija added 15 points and eight rebounds. The Wizards have lost the first two games of their four-game homestand and now have a 3-20 home record for the season.
Domantas Sabonis set a new franchise record by achieving his 30th consecutive double-double, scoring 26 points and grabbing 11 rebounds as the Sacramento Kings defeated the Indiana Pacers 133-122 in Indianapolis on Friday. Four players from Sacramento scored at least 22 points, with De’Aaron Fox contributing 25 points and making six steals to support the Kings’ defensive effort. Malik Monk came off the bench to score 23 points, while Harrison Barnes added 22 points.
Five players from Indiana reached double figures, including Tyrese Haliburton with 14 points. Buddy Hield, coming off the bench for Indiana, scored 17 points and made three 3-pointers out of eight attempts. Pascal Siakam scored 22 points, and Isaiah Jackson contributed 10 points and eight rebounds.
Trae Young scored 32 points and dished out 15 assists, helping the Atlanta Hawks secure a 129-120 victory against the Phoenix Suns at home on Friday, extending their winning streak to three games. Bogdan Bogdanovic contributed 23 points, with four of them coming from 3-pointers, while Dejounte Murray added 22 points, 13 of which were scored in the final quarter. Phoenix’s top performers were Kevin Durant, who recorded 35 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists, and Devin Booker, who scored 24 points.
Alperen Sengun came close to achieving a triple-double, while rookies Cam Whitmore and Amen Thompson combined for 44 points coming off the bench, contributing to the Houston Rockets’ 135-106 win over the Toronto Raptors. Sengun scored 24 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and led the team with eight assists, playing a crucial role in the fast-paced offense that targeted the paint and capitalized on Toronto’s defensive vulnerabilities. On the Raptors’ side, Barnes led with 28 points and seven rebounds, and Immanuel Quickley added 25 points and six assists. This defeat marked Toronto’s sixth loss in the last seven games.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put up 31 points to help the Oklahoma City Thunder secure a 126-106 victory against the Charlotte Hornets at home on Friday. Holmgren contributed 16 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. The Hornets played without LaMelo Ball for the fourth game in a row due to right ankle soreness. Jalen Williams of Oklahoma City also missed his second consecutive game due to a right ankle sprain. Miller led the Hornets, who have suffered six consecutive losses, with 28 points, while Bryce McGowens added 15.
Zion Williamson scored 33 points and made two crucial baskets in the last minute to help the New Orleans Pelicans secure a 114-113 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. McCollum contributed 21 points, Brandon Ingram had 19 points and six assists, and Jonas Valanciunas scored 18 points for New Orleans. Vassell led the Spurs with 28 points, Jones added 20, Victor Wembanyama had 16 points and 14 rebounds, and Sochan recorded 15 points and 16 rebounds for San Antonio.
Jonathan Kuminga continued his impressive scoring streak by reaching at least 20 points for the eighth consecutive game as the Golden State Warriors started their five-game trip with a 121-101 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night. Kuminga led the game with 29 points, while Brandin Podziemski contributed a season-high 14 assists for the Warriors. This victory also marked the return of Derrick Rose for the Grizzlies after being sidelined with a hamstring injury since January 2. Rose scored 12 points and provided four assists in 16 minutes off the bench.
The injury-plagued Grizzlies, who were playing the second night of a back-to-back, were unable to secure a win on their three-game homestand and have now lost four consecutive games. Stephen Curry finished with 20 points and Klay Thompson added 14 for Golden State, with Draymond Green contributing nine points, 12 rebounds, six assists, and three blocks. Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Grizzlies with 27 points, while John Konchar grabbed 12 rebounds, and David Roddy and Jacob Gilyard each scored 16 points, with Vince Williams Jr. adding 15. The Warriors will now visit Atlanta on Saturday.
Nikola Jokic scored 27 points, grabbed a season-high 22 rebounds, and dished out 12 assists to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 120-108 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night. Aaron Gordon contributed 18 points, while Jamal Murray narrowly missed a triple-double with 13 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds.
The Nuggets also received solid performances from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Peyton Watson, Michael Porter Jr., and Reggie Jackson, who all scored in double digits. Rookie Scoot Henderson led the Portland Trail Blazers with 30 points, followed by Anfernee Simons with 29 points. Malcolm Brogdon added 11 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, while Toumani Camara and Duop Reath each scored 10 points. Despite their efforts, the Blazers saw their two-game winning streak come to an end.
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